Jezrin Hadrick looked to the sky above. It was a clear brisk blue, a hint of a breeze caressed his face and he smiled as he closed his eyes to bask in the tranquillity. Dantooine had an affinity in bringing the peacefulness out of even the most troubled of minds. That’s why Jezrin loved this place so much. That’s why he couldn’t picture himself anywhere else.

And that is why he was dreading the moment that was about to come…
“Jez?” came a voice over the plains.

Jezrin looked around and saw his friend, Alyssa Bermiah come strolling up towards him. Her long blonde hair softly swaying in the breeze and her golden bangs fall across her bright green eyes as she walked. She wore the typical garb of the Jedi; long brown, unassuming robes, and with it, a rather sly smile she wore whenever she would come face to face with Jez. He knew how she felt about him, and she knew how he felt about her, but the Code of the Jedi forbade any type of emotional attachment apart from a purely professional relationship.

Nevertheless, the bond they shared existed, and one day they might be allowed to be together.

But that was not this day…

“What’s wrong with you?” Alyssa asked when she came up to him. “You hardly talked at all during dinner in the Mess Hall, you hardly ate anything….
And you know I get worried when you don’t eat!”

Jez smiled and said, “everything is fine, Lys, I would tell you if it were otherwise.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” she replied. “I know you, remember?”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. “Lys,” he said. “No matter what happens in the future, always know that I will forever love you.”

A shadow of a frown came to her face as she nodded and said, “I know, Jez. I feel the same way.”

He smiled again and pulled her close.

He didn’t know how long they stood there; a minute, an hour – it could have been an eternity and he wouldn’t have realized. They pulled apart and he saw Alyssa had tears slowly trailing down her face, he softly wiped them away.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “One day we will be free of condemnation, and we can live our lives the way we were meant to: side by side.”

She smiled and nodded. Lys placed a warm palm on Jez’s cheek. “Jez,” she said. “I want you to know-“

But Jezrin didn’t hear the rest.

There was a thunderous sound, suddenly the sky was filled black clouds, lightning forked across the dark canvas and a tidal wind of power pushed them to the ground.

Jez searched for Lys when he opened his eyes but couldn’t find her anywhere. He put his hand to his mouth and coughed, pulling away he saw blood. He fell to his knees. “What’s… what’s happening?” he gasped. He tried to stand up, but all strength had left him.

“Lys…” he thought. “Where are you?”

He closed his eyes and tried to stand again.

Then all was black and the sound disappeared into nothing.

He fell into darkness…

*

There was a ringing in his ears as he opened his eyes.

He could feel the subtle vibrations of the ground, still trembling from the power of the weapon that was used against it. He looked around. Everything was still the same, yet it felt completely different. He could not pinpoint what it was, but as the strength returned to his limbs, he felt a rush of adrenaline as he remembered what had happened and looked down.

There was the Mandalorian corpse. Its skin weathered, stretched, as if it had been pulled at every pore whilst all physical form had been stripped from it, and then put back down so it infused with the corpses skeletal structure. It was a horrid sight to behold. And yet, as he looked down at what he had done, realizing that it was indeed him that stole this man’s essence to infuse with his own, so he was no longer at the point of starvation, Jez came to know the power in which he had been given.

The Mass Shadow Generator that was used on Malachor V almost destroyed the planet and everyone on it. Yet, he was still here. The earth was slowly crumbing, the sky was torn apart and screaming with thunder and lighting, yet he was still here. And as he found fellow survivor’s, shred the Life Essence from their bodies, they dissolved into nothing…. And yet, he was still here.

He had the feeling he would always be there.

But for how long….

His hunger grew every day. He needed more survivors but they were few and far between amongst the jagged peaks and rugged caves of the disastrous planet. Every day, he grew more desperate. He found one, maybe two, but as their screams died away, and his strength returned, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he felt weak again. He took to finding the native beasts, but they weren’t as pure as sentient beings. They only sufficed for a few hours, a day at most.

It wasn’t until he had travelled as far as he could, and dropped to his knees, that chance came glancing in his direction. As he was slowly but surely falling back into darkness, he heard an old fragile voice whisper in his ear.

“Sleep,” she said. “You grow weak; tomorrow you shall feast – for a large surviving company of Mandalorian soldiers are camped at a place that we need to go. You will sate your hunger, and you will learn all the answers to the questions you hold. Sleep, and tomorrow shall Awaken and begin anew.”

With that, Jez heard no more. His last thought on the blonde haired, green eyed girl he had been dreaming about all those weeks ago. He had forgotten her name, it seemed to him it was a lifetime ago. Someone with his face, but it was not him; that man had long disappeared. Someone knew had come to take his place. Someone who would make sure that that never happened to him again. It was the brief moment between consciousness and sleep that he remembered her name, and as all memory faded, he felt the memory brush against his lips as he whispered, “Alyssa…”

Jez felt his consciousness reach forth back into his mind and the soft scratching’s against his soul. A pulsing energy started in his chest and he reached up and placed a palm on his forehead. It was burning hot. He took a deep breath and felt the Hunger start to creep back into his limbs.
He was shaking slightly as he opened his eyes. He was on the ground at an old campsite. Torn shelters and broken plasteel cylinders littered the area. His environmental surroundings were strikingly similar as always. Darkened, abyssal…. The very air seemed strangled in on itself. It was a struggle for even the wind to speak any words that did not involve death or despair.

“You are back,” said a voice.

Jez turned and noticed the hooded form a tall, thin being standing just ahead of him.

“I never left,” he said.

“Yes, you did,” replied the being. It was no mistaking that the fragile old voice belonged to an old woman. “I felt for some time that you would not return from your journey; though fate, as it seems, has granted us both an opportunity.”

“Opportunity for what?” asked Jez.

“In time,” replied the woman.

She let the words hang in the air whilst she watched Jez continue to survey his surroundings; swapping his lightsaber from one hand to the other. He then looked directly at her and asked, “who are you?”

“Me? Why I am but a messenger. A humble teacher in hopes to find a pupil that can stand up and face the challenges ahead.”

“I didn’t hear a name at all…”

“My name is Traya.”

Jez gazed at this seemingly fragile old woman in front of him. She was hiding something. Something other than her power, because Jez had sensed it as soon as he had woke. It was only now that he realized that the subtle hints that escaped the barrier were coming from her. He kept silent however.

It was then his stomach turned and his limbs tightened. He gasped in pain.

“You need to sate your hunger,” said Traya.

“It gets bigger every time I do,” replied Jez.

“As it should,” she answered. “You are getting stronger. But this new found power is alien to you, so if it is guidance and answers you seek, and willing to follow a lead for a while, you will come with me.”

“And what guidance could you possibly offer me?” asked Jez.

“More than what you have known in the past few years.”

“I don’t trust easily.”

“And you should not; most of all to someone you only just met.”

“Then how could I trust you?”

“Because everything I tell you is a lie.”

Jez brought his knees up to his face as a sudden pain erupted in his stomach.

“I can help you,” said Traya. “And in doing so, you shall help me.”

“What do you want from me?” said Jez through gritted teeth.

“Nothing that is short of everything. In time, all questions you ask shall be answered, however, one thing remains. There is a large group of Mandalorian’s as I have previously said, camped near here. They are in our way and need to be moved for us to pass. I am too weak for such an immense task. You shall destroy them, and in turn, replenishing what strength you have lost in the process.”

Jez scratched his forehead in annoyance with the cryptic’s. She was certainly a Jedi; or previously had been. “Fine!” he hissed in agony. “Just tell me where they are!”

*

Karn Udrina, the Captain of his squad of Mandalorian’s were camped in the foot of a large cliff. It was right in the crevasse of two adjoining walls, so each angle was covered. They would be able to spot any approaching sentient's. Unless they came from above of course.

He looked up just to make sure…

“No sign of enemies, sir!” reported one of his officers.

“Good,” he replied. “There’s bound to be some Jedi and Sith scum lurking about in these ruins of a planet. I don’t want anythin’ sneaking up without our knowing.”

“We’ve set motion sensors one click on each side in the gridded plan for the camp. They won’t get anywhere near us without a nice warning.”

Karn nodded. “Well done. Now go get some rest.”

The officer saluted and went back to his duties before it was time to sleep.

Karn sat on a cylinder that was propped against the cliff face and rest his back against the rock. He pulled out a tiny projector and sighed. His wife and two kids smiled and waved at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. These last few dark days hadn’t been easy, but it will be worth it once he got back home to hug his wife, kiss her again and be able to talk to his son and daughter once again.

He closed his eyes and thought of the days he missed the most.

It was then that the man in black landed next to him…

*

Jez looked down from below at the Mandalorian’s. They had set up motion sensors along the perimeter on the ground below, but they didn’t take the effort and time to place one from up here.

Unfortunate for them…

He noticed the other five that were wandering through the camp and one, the golden one, standing off to the side, leaning against the cliff right below him.

Jez smiled and gathered the Force around himself.

He leapt from the cliff and used the Force to control his descent, and focused most of it on his feet, cushioning his landing so even though he landed right next to the Captain, the Mandalorian made no sign he had heard Jez’s sudden appearance.

He ignited his lightsaber and had it piercing through the armour and the Captain’s chest before anyone realised what had happened. Even when they had retrieved their weapons, Jez had already Force gripped one and sent him flying into the cliff face at bone crushing velocity whilst deflecting shots back at the others. With the three left, he somersaulted over to their position and grabbed one by the throat whilst defending against the others.

He threw the one he had aside, gathered the Force and Pushed them has hard as he could, only to grab them mid-air, the Force of the pull doing severe damage to their internal organs and flinging them towards himself as he held his lightsaber at the ready. Body parts fell like grotesque and horrid rain.

Those two lay lifeless. But the other three, there was still life left in them; even the Captain with the wound in his chest was still alive. Jez stood in the very centre of the camp and focused his strength. Then he felt it. The Hunger. The air pulsed and the wind was electricity itself; Jez could feel their life force leaving their bodies and seeping into his pores. The power he gained was growing exponentially.

He was losing breath and once again he fell to his knees as the amount from the three bodies consumed him and gave him more strength than what he knew to do with.

His vision darkened, and with a final smile of victorious satisfaction, Jez fell into a glorious slumber.

AN: Ok, so it seems to be monthly updates, but hey; monthly is better than never, yeah? :P

CHAPTER THREE

“Why did you bring him here?” a deep and brutal voice asked.

“Because he is the one I have been looking for,” replied an old and fragile voice.

“How can you be sure?”

“How can you be not?”

…. Jez could hear them talking but didn’t open his eyes. He felt considerably stronger than he had before, but he still didn’t move. He must have shown movement of some kind however, because the brutal voice said, “he is awake.”

Finally, Jez opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.

He was in a med bay of some sort. An old med bay at that. The walls were of carved stone, so was the bed he was on. But there was a somewhat newish Kolto tank to the side and a Lab Bench were some chemicals were stored for future use.

It was then he turned his face towards the two beings in the room with him and was taken aback.

There was the old woman – Traya - in worn Jedi robes, her hood covering the top part of her face. The visible part was lined with age, yet for how old she looked, and how she sounded, this woman held herself with a sense of pride that Jez had never came across before.

Her companion on the other hand…

Jez was sure that if Terror had a form, this would be it.

Cracked flesh, scars, skin stretched and torn and contorted to make a face and body that resembled the very embodiment of evil. And its eyes were staring directly at him.

“You,” it said; the voice deep, strong and full of anguish. “You are one lucky being. For if it was I that came across you, you would not be breathing. You
are weak.”

“He is stronger than you know,” replied Traya.

“We shall see,” was all he said as he turned away.

Traya looked at Jez. “This,” she said. “Is Lord Sion.”

“Darth Sion,” the walking scar corrected her.

“Darth Sion,” she said, nodding in his direction. “He is brutal and strong in all what is imaginable. You cannot kill what cannot die, and though many have tried, he still lives.”

Jez thought that he would rather be dead than look like that, but he just nodded all the same and kept his thoughts to himself. Traya, however, seemed to sense his unspoken words.

“Do not be contrite enough to think that the power is any less in the form he is in. It is the power what does this. And it’s the power that he controls that makes it able for him to be able to survive.”

Jez nodded and sat up. His forehead was throbbing and he placed a cool palm to try and calm his temperature.

Traya walked up to him and said, “come with me,” as she held out her hand.

Jez took it and stood on his feet. He fought the dizziness threatening to envelop him and proceeded out of the medbay with Traya and Darth Sion.

Traya looked at Jez.

“You know my companions name, and yet, you do nothing,” she said. “That is rather unorthodox for a Jedi, is it not?”

“I’m no longer a Jedi,” said Jez. Even the word ’Jedi’ tasted like bile to him now. It was because of the Jedi he was here on this wretched planet. It was because of the Jedi he had lost everything. It was because of the Jedi that he had lost….

“One is always a Jedi whether one wants to admit it or not,” replied Traya.

“Except me,” spat Sion.

“You, are indeed the only exception,” she answered as she turned her attention back to Jez. “You are you are not a Jedi, but the facts remain. Just because they abandoned you, does not mean you are not one of them any longer. Their ideals may have been replaced, but your ideals, will ever be a part of you. And you will soon see, that your ideals, and their ideals may not be so different. Jedi, Sith; both sides play the same game pazaak, and with the same cards. They just use them in a different order.”

“I think I understand.” Jez said as he contemplated these words.

“You do not now,” replied Traya. “But you will, in time.”

“What happens from here?” asked Jez as he looked to Traya and Sion.

“That,” said Traya, “is entirely up to you.”

“I will not go back to the Jedi,” he said. “I have nothing but hate for them.”

“Good,” replied Traya. “You need that hate if you are to use and control this newfound power of yours. The very essence of the Force has granted you its stores of energy. You feast on it, drown in it and when you are ready, you can unleash that energy in ways the Galaxy has never seen before.”

Jez raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. That sounded good. It sounded fun!

“I could work something up, I guess,” he said.

Traya let a ghost of a smile caress her lips. “You will need a teacher,” she said.

Jez knelt down on one knee. “Then teach me,” he said.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Traya said, “I will.”

Jez stood back on his feet and looked at her. “Whats first?” he asked.

“First,” answered Traya, “first we need to find you something to feast on to see just what this power of yours can do.”

Jez nodded and turned back to watch the horrid landscape of Hell itself as the air of Malachor V sizzled above him.

"Holy crap, he's still alive!" Hahaha ... I know it's been a while, but I ad a tiny spout of inspiration to do another, albeit short, chapter of this. No idea when they next one will be. Until then....

CHAPTER FOUR

“What do you mean there’s nothing left?” asked Forn.

“I’m sorry,” answered Kiera. “But I left my dictionary for Dumbed-Down Basic back on Corellia. There is no food left, Forn; how else can I spell it out for you?”

“Where did it go?” said Forn.

Kiera sighed. If this was what it was going to be like…..

Her stomach grumbled in discontent.

“Look, Forn,” she said. “I only just met you a week ago, so whatever you may think, there is no close attachment between us. I can and will leave you on this Hutt spawn of a planet if you badger me anymore. I’m just as hungry as you ok, Ace? But reminding me about it every hour isn’t going to get us more food! There has got to be survivors somewhere in this abhorrent place, let’s find them and hopefully there will be a shuttle close by. I would rather die in Space then somewhere I can hear the constant rasping of your voice!”
Forn lowered his head and mumbled his apologies.

Instantly, Kiera felt bad. “Look,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry too. It’s just that we need to work together if we’re going to survive here. I haven’t exactly been in worse spots before, but there have been some situations I didn’t think I would get out alive. And I’m still kicking. So use that for motivation if you have to. I don’t plan on dying any time soon.”

Forn smiled and nodded his head; “As you say, Captain!”

Kiera smiled and squeezed his shoulder before letting go and taking another look at her surroundings.

Dxun, that sticky and humid planet – Korriban, the desolate hell-hole – even Nal Hutta, the bloated swamp landscape, reminiscent of a Hutt’s underside… Kiera would rather be on any one of these ‘paradise’ planets if it meant she could get off this chunk of rock. For years she’d flown in and out of battles, for Sith and Republic alike, taking new alias’ and faces whenever she needed to. The work was double-sided, treasonous if any side found out about it, but it was well paying and adventurous. She was never one to stick with just one side. She’d made a very good living out of it, but all that wealth meant nothing if she was to die here.

“There used to be an outpost around here somewhere,” she said to her companion. “Before … Before the battle. It was a Mando site, but we should be able to find some supplies there if we’re lucky.”

Forn licked his lips in anticipation.

Kiera smiled at him. “Let’s go.”

*

It had been two weeks since Jez and Traya had crossed paths. He was not a fan of the old woman, but she knew things about this place that he didn’t. He needed her. So he decided to stay and follow her teachings until he was strong enough and able to get out of this place.
He stood on one of the balconies of the Academy that the three of them had taken refuge in only a few days before. He had no idea that it had existed before they discovered it, but he had a nagging sensation that Traya did. How, he did not know, and that made him even more wary of her.

Nevertheless, as he looked out towards this barren rock, he had to acknowledge that he owed her a debt. She had saved his life. Brought him here and taught him how to harness this new found Hunger he had obtained. It was a gift and a curse at the same time, Jez discovered. He felt sated, and powerful every time he consumed a beings life essence, but he knew that every time he consumed, his Hunger grew.

He could not explain how he had come across this power. That was the riddle of all the riddles that had formed in his minds eye that he needed to solve. One day, he would discover how and why. But until that time…

“It shows almost a similiarity to our own heart and mind if you look and listen carefully, Jez. You can feel its heartbeat, almost as plain as your own. That, is the core of Malachor. It’s pull towards all Dark things. The darkness within ourselves is taken and given life to the surroundings. It feeds on our hatred and fear and our love.”

“Why are you here?” he asked her.

Traya waited a moment before responding. “It is coming soon, the time for our departure. I believe there is one more test here for us, you in particular, then we will depart to Ziost. It is the rightful kingdom of the Sith Empire that once spanned across this galaxy and I feel that it will become an integral part in the coming future.”

“Ziost…” Jez had read about the planet. And the myths surrounding it. The hidden powers that could be found. It was intriguing to say in the least.
Traya waited in silence as he took his time to turn back around to her.

“What is this final test?” he asked.

*

Kiera and Forn climbed up the last jagged edges of a steep rock face and stood proudly when they reached the top. Breathing heavily, they surveyed their surroundings. Kiera eyed the rocks suspiciously. They had not come across any hostile unknowns yet, although that was always a possibly, especially when it seemed like it was the end of the galaxy.

“Where is this outpost of yours?” panted Forn.

Kiera scanned the area and noticed a faint light against the black clouds, not two clicks away. She smiled.

“There,” she pointed. “Come on, not long now!”

Running, they made their way across the landscape and before they knew it, they had come to the abandoned Mandolorian Outpost. Forn went directly for the large building, in hope of any food source he could find. Kiera, instead, focused on what was around the camp. Her heart quickened as she took in the gore-filled scene. These Mandolorians had only recently been killed. And by a lightsaber no less. They way these bodies had been destroyed, Kiera knew that no Jedi would ever succumb to such butchery. She felt her body start to quiver in fear. Forn came running back out with his arms laden with foodstuffs but as he reached his companion and looked around, he dropped his supplies to the ground in shock.

“What happened?” he looked at her.

Kiera had no words. The remains of the soldiers were too horrifying to accurately describe.

“We need to get out of here.” She said more to herself than anyone else.

“We have to leave now.”

“What?” asked Forn.

She looked at him. “Fill the packs with as much food and ammo as you can.”

She looked around and saw, to her great delight, a speeder bike just a few yards from the camp. “We need to get away from here. We will ride the speeder bike to the closest camp we can find. Hopefully they’ll be friendlies. Either way, I don’t care. I just do not want to run into the thing that has done this massacre.”

“Too much for my skill,” said Forn. “Wouldn’t be able to come up good in a fight I would reckon.”

“No,” she said slowly, looking to her companion. “If whatever did this finds us, I doubt we will come up good at all.”